


Habitual

by ssa_archivist



Category: Smallville
Genre: Humor, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2003-12-22
Updated: 2003-12-22
Packaged: 2017-11-01 09:19:57
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,089
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/354883
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ssa_archivist/pseuds/ssa_archivist
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Clark, Lex and an evil box of Crunch n' Munch</p>
            </blockquote>





	Habitual

## Habitual

by Genesis

<http://www.angelfire.com/scifi2/alanisyn/>

* * *

Lex likes to organize. It's nothing new. Clark knew that two years before they started dating. However, there's a difference between being neat, and being borderline psychotic when it comes to the order of things and Lex, well, he hurdled way past that line. 

Clark first notices it when they sit down to watch a movie. They put the snacks on the table before Clark goes to the kitchen to get a few glasses and a bowl. When he comes back, Lex is on his knees in front of the coffee table, organizing the snack foods by name, size and nutritional value. The drinks are a whole different matter, in a whole different section, on a whole different system. 

"Lex, what are you doing?" He asks, curiosity getting the better of him. 

"What does it look like I'm doing?" He's paying little to no attention to Clark. Instead, he's concentrating on whether Crunch n' Munch goes with the popcorn and chips or the cookies and other sweet snacks. 

"It looks like you're rearranging the snack food." 

"Very good." Lex's sarcasm has gotten to the point where he doesn't realize he's doing it and Clark can't do anything but roll his eyes when, after five minutes, Lex hasn't figured out where to put the damn box. 

Clark walks around the couch, cups and a large bowl in hand, and sits. 

There's something incredibly endearing about Lex there, on his knees, biting lightly on his bottom lip, face drawn together as if he was making one of the biggest decisions of his life. 

Clark places the cups on the nearest vacant spot on the glass table and reaches for the bag of popcorn. He thinks better of it when Lex glances at him and he knows Lex isn't even aware that he's done it. Just as quickly, he's back to his `monumental decision making'. 

Clark can't tell Lex that it doesn't matter, that he alone could eat everything on the table and still be hungry. Wouldn't dare tell him that it shouldn't matter where he puts the box because it'd be empty in a little while. 

"Is it safe to touch the popcorn?" Lex sets the box near the bag of Doritos, then picks it up again. 

"Of course. Why wouldn't it be?" 

"I thought...never mind. Could you pass me the bag please?" Lex picks it up with such care that Clark almost feels bad asking him to move it. Lex is careful not to disrupt his carefully constructed system, and pushes everything back to fill the void the absence of the bag has created. 

But Clark _has_ to put the popcorn in the bowl. 

No one would ever guess, but Lex Luthor is a popcorn whore. There's no other word for it. 

Lex eats so many healthy things it makes Clark sick. 

He often wondered if Lex had ever seen junk food in his life. 

That was until Clark walked in on Lex on his `downtime'. He was sprawled out in the den, tie discarded, first three buttons of his shirt undone, sleeves rolled up and shoeless feet hanging over the arm of the couch. He was watching Dark City. And sitting next to him was a bowl. 

A _huge_ bowl. 

Of _at least_ two bags of popcorn. 

Lex had just started watching the movie and Clark counted three more trips to the kitchen for more popcorn. Lex was anything but rude, even in the most trying situations, so when Clark sat to watch the movie with him, he offered him some of his popcorn. Clark would have accepted it except...there was this look. This look that all but begged Clark not take the popcorn. He declined with a smile on his face. 

Which is why each time they go on a movie binge, they get separate bowls of popcorn. If left to his own devices, Lex would steal and hog every bag of popcorn put before him. 

Like that time he started undressing in the kitchen to distract Clark from the box of popcorn he was reaching for. The next day, the entire box was missing and of course Lex claimed he had no idea where it went. 

Clark shakes his head and empties the contents into the bowl. 

Lex _still_ hasn't decided what to do with the Crunch n' Munch. 

Clark moves closer and leans forward, trying to say what it is exactly, that Lex is staring at so hard. He leans just a bit closer, inches away from Lex. 

"I say put it with the popcorn. If we're going by size, nutritional value, and amount of sugar...it's got two out of the three requirements for this group." He gestures to make his point. "Plus, it says popcorn on the box. Can't go wrong with that." 

Lex thinks it over for all of a minute before setting the box down between one of the unopened bags of popcorn and an economy sized bag of Salsa Doritos. He stands, surveys his work and nods decisively. He dusts off his pants before sitting down. 

Clark is almost stupid enough to think the problem is solved. Ten minutes into the movie he can't take it anymore. 

"Why don't we just eat it?" 

"What?" 

"You've been glaring at the box for the last 15 minutes. If it's bothering you, we can just eat it. Eliminating obstacles and all that." 

"Really, it's fine." 

"I don't know...I've been thinking. It does sort of fit under sweets too, don't you think?" Clark is definitely having fun with this and only feels just a bit guilty that it's at the expense of his friend. 

"Shit." Lex mutters as he leans toward the table. His hand is almost to the demonic snack before he pauses mid air. He turns to Clark who, for the most part, is trying to keep a straight face. 

"That's low Clark. Even for you." There's no smile on his face but the tone of his voice makes up for it. 

"Oh come on! You've been glaring at the Crunch N' Munch like it did something to you!" 

"Maybe it did." Lex pouts and it's all Clark can take before he bursts out laughing. He's laughing so hard that he's paying absolutely no attention to Lex. 

Lex uses that exact moment to slip the bag of popcorn off the table and down his side of the couch. 

Now if only he could distract Clark long enough to get that bowl... 


End file.
